Semiconductor equipment company ISTE said on 20 it won a contract from SK Hynix to supply FOUP Cleaner equipment. The contract will be applied to a new line at a new fab in Cheongju and to supplementary investment at the Icheon fab. ISTE previously signed a contract in January to supply automation equipment for the new Cheongju fab.

ISTE has expanded its supply scope to next-generation investment lines based on its track record of supplying equipment. The company is continuing to pursue equipment performance improvements and the internalisation of technology. Based on that, it has continued to win orders from SK Hynix several times this year. The company said cumulative orders from January to now have increased by more than 300 percent from the same period last year.

An ISTE official said demand for high-capacity server DRAM has surged recently, driving plans to ramp up production of HBM and DDR5 DRAM. The official said the company plans to respond actively to equipment demand spanning new and existing fabs. The official added that cooperation is continuing across major production hubs rather than being a one-off supply, and that additional orders are expected as facility investment expands.